Core Keeper News

Notes From the Underground #004

Howdy there, Explorers! We hope you're having a BLAST with our new Bags & Blasts update. While you've been busy getting acquainted with our new Explosives skill tree, hunting down the new Arcane Symbiote egg, and battling giant cicadas, we uncovered a brand-new Notes From the Underground journal entry. It seems our wayward Explorer is turning their hand to science, with a little help from some "borrowed" equipment.

A localised transcript of this journal entry has been provided below the image.

[h2]Notes From the Underground #4 - The Power of Science[/h2]

"Call me big-headed, but I’m continuously impressed with the things I manage to cobble together from the resources in this world. Lately, I’ve been turning my hand to science, crafting all kinds of wonders in my new laboratory. Well, I say “new”, more like upcycled…with scientific equipment I found in some sort of abandoned research station.

Who knows what kinds of experiments were being conducted there? It looked like whoever was in charge left in a hurry. I almost passed right by, but I’m so glad I didn’t. As I was filling my bag with what I could salvage, something started snapping at my feet! It scurried away before I could get a proper look at it, but I managed a sketch so I’ll know what to look out for next time. Perhaps this creature can be tamed?

There was something else intriguing that caught my eye at the research station. A mysterious sigil that kept cropping up. Perhaps it is some kind of rune or ancient language? It doesn’t quite match any of the Caveling symbols I’ve spotted on my travels. I’ll see if it shows up again when I head back to grab the last of the equipment tomorrow – there’s a water cooler that I’ve got my eye on!"

1.1.0.2 Post-Update Stability Patch

Gameplay:

Improved Nimruza’s defenses against exploitative strategies.
Throwing grenades into water may now drop fish.
Added a setting to hide Hotbar arrow buttons.

Other:

Slightly increased indirect lighting for the Arcane Symbiote.
Delayed the chest spawn for Nimruza.
Fixed a few text and translation issues.

Game Balance:

Adjusted the speed and lifespan of the Core Commander's orbs’ projectiles.
Lower magic pet drop rate.
The minion detonator no longer drops in The Forgotten Ruins or in digging spots in the Azeos’ Wilderness.

Bug Fixes:

Minions no longer explode when the player teleports while having the Desert Guardian set equipped.
Garden Trowels can now generate golden crops when the player has the Expert gardener skill.
Breaking Oasis Blocks should no longer create Obsidian Walls that persist until the world is reloaded. This fix also applies to worlds already affected by this issue.
Toggling the in-game UI no longer results in floating texts from Signs being invisible until the game is restarted.
Floating texts from Signs now have a black outline again.
Combat-related skill points should no longer be gained when no damage was dealt from attacks or explosives.
The chance to gain extra items from the Alchemist skill should now correctly affect the Laboratory Table.
Summoning items should now only trigger one summoning area to spawn an enemy.
Cicada Burrows should now belong to the same faction as Cicadas, thus no longer taking damage from creatures of the same faction.
Critters should be more accurately squashed when walking over them.
Fixed a bug that prevented the Core Commander from healing back to full health if the player died while in the second boss phase.
Exiting the world while the Core Commander is doing the void area attack no longer results in a void attack with no safe areas when the world is reloaded.
The Core Commander should no longer trigger their void area attack after healing back to their first phase.
The Solarite Ore that drops from the Crystal Snails’ shell should now be pulled towards the player, similar to other loot drops.
Garden Trowels should now be able to be upgraded more than once.
Garden Trowels should now be able to be resized after being upgraded.
Chests now drop their contained items when destroyed by boss attacks that typically destroy objects without dropping loot, such as Ghorm’s charge.
Fighting multiple hydra bosses in a single session no longer causes the second hydra boss to display the name of the last defeated hydra.
The text from other players’ Tombstones should no longer be illuminated.
Adjusted the button widths in the content menu to avoid text extending outside the buttons.
Gold Ore on walls is no longer invisible during the Valentine’s seasonal event.
Pandorium Crystals no longer appear in different colors on the map based on their size.
Covered pit objects should no longer affect the functionality of planting with Garden Trowels.
Fanhare’s projectiles now correctly pierce enemies.
Quick stacking is no longer possible while playing instruments.
Minions should no longer display being affected by radiation from other players’ minions in PVP.
Opening a cracked egg should no longer cause the pet to be instantly equipped.

Terraria style sandbox game Core Keeper has a new boss in Bags and Blasts update

If you're desperately awaiting the launch of Terraria 1.4.5 and you haven't yet played Core Keeper, consider today's patch a reminder to check in on one of the best co-op survival sandbox games in recent years. Boasting a 92%-positive Steam score from 40,000 user reviews, Core Keeper's mixture of exploration, digging, crafting, building, and climactic boss battles make it one of the best options to fill that Terraria-shaped gap in your gaming schedule. Developer Pugstorm's new major upgrade makes it even bigger and better, with more storage options, dangers, and explosions at your fingertips.

Read the rest of the story...

Core Keeper’s Bags & Blasts Update is Out Now!

It’s time for our very first major content update of 2025, and we’re starting things off with a BANG! That’s right, Core Keeper’s Bags & Blasts update is out now. This free update features a whole host of new content added to the game as well as bug fixes, performance improvements, and quality-of-life updates. Read the full patch notes here!

[h2]An Explosive New Update[/h2]
We’ve added a new “Explosives” skill tree with 8 new skills to the game, and what better way to hone this skill than with the addition of new bomb types? From the powerful Void Bomb (which drags in nearby enemies and then explodes) all the way to the Blunder Bomb (which triggers a series of explosions).

Bombs aren’t the only way to make a bang in the underground though! We’ve added a whole new type of explosive to the game in the form of throwable Grenades with unique effects. Whether you’re looking to stun your enemies, set them on fire, poison them, or even charm them, there’s a grenade for every occasion.

[h2]Inventory Overhaul[/h2]
We’ve been keen to revisit Core Keeper’s inventory management system ever since we launched in 1.0, and we’re pleased to report that we’ve made lots of improvements to this feature. First up, we’ve introduced Pouches, an all-new management system that comes in different sizes and rarities. These handy additions allow you to carry items like ores, seeds, fish, and other valuables with you in separate, dedicated spaces, providing new ways to house your items without sacrificing valuable inventory space.

Secondly, we’ve added a handy new hotbar swapping feature, allowing you to choose which inventory row appears in your hotbar at the push of a button (or the click of a shortcut). We know how important organisation can be, which is why we’ve also added a new quick-stack button to the player inventory UI, allowing you to send items to all nearby chests (there’s a shortcut for this too). Oh, and we’ve also introduced a new inventory item-locking feature in case there are any items you’d like to keep exempt from sorting and quick-stacking.

[h2]Nimruza, Queen of the Burrowed Sands[/h2]
What’s a major content update without a little challenge? Meet Nimruza, Queen of the Burrowed Sands – a brand-new boss. You’ll find her deep within the Desert of Beginnings, but be warned! It’s not just Nimruza you’ll need to contend with, but her brood of super-cicadas too. Explorers with keen eyes will have spotted references to Nimruza’s brood across the underground from all the way back to Early Access, and we’re excited to build on this mysterious piece of Core Keeper lore!

[h2]Welcome to the Oasis[/h2]
With an all-new boss comes a brand-new sub-biome: the Oasis. These pockets of paradise can be found all over The Desert of Beginnings, and are home to hardy Aloe plants and Water Reeds, as well as a new breed of cattle known as the Drohmble! These adorable creatures drop a valuable (but stinky) resource that’s useful for crafting explosives.

[h2]More Magic[/h2]
We’ve been keeping an eye on community requested features and we know you’re keen for us to build on the Summoner and Mage playstyles. With that in mind, we thought we’d start off with a new multi-purpose weapon known as the Corrupted Meteor Staff, a new offhand item called the Minion Detonator, and a magical new pet known as the Arcane Symbiote…and this is just the beginning! We’ll be building upon Core Keeper’s magic system in future updates too.

[h2]Tools, Workbenches, and Decorations[/h2]
One of our favourite parts about major updates is getting to add content across the entirety of the game. Explorers will be able to build and craft from two new workbenches – the Laboratory Table (craftable from the Scarlet Workbench) and the Pouch Workbench (bought from the Bearded Merchant). We’ve also added a new tool type known as the Trowel, which will assist Explorers with seed placement, giving them more control over their crops. You’ll also find two new paintable decorations within your workbenches: Tapestries and Banners!

[h2]Update Your Existing Worlds[/h2]
Core Keeper is growing with every update and we’ve been working on a way to ensure that players can enjoy some of our newer content without having to start new worlds. Keep an eye out for the addition of the Content tab to the World Info menu. This tab gives players the option to overwrite previously explored areas to add new content from various updates (such as boss dungeons) to their existing worlds. Using this feature means that players won’t always have to start afresh to enjoy features that are usually tied to world-generation. Please note that this new feature does not apply to Classic worlds.

[h2]So Much More…[/h2]
You’ll spot all kinds of new additions as you explore, including new achievements, over 25 new pieces of equipment, enemies, and more. We could keep going, but this Steam post would just get longer and longer! For a full look at everything we’ve added in Bags & Blasts, check out the patch notes here.

We hope you have fun getting to grips with all of Core Keeper’s new additions, Explorers! Keep an eye out for more hints at what’s to come from our Notes From the Underground series, and don’t forget to let us know what you think about this update over on official Core Keeper X, BlueSky, and Discord.

Core Keeper - 1.1.0 Major Update - Bags & Blasts

Gameplay:

New boss: Nimruza, Queen of the Burrowed Sands. Found in The Desert of Beginnings biome.
New cicada enemies added in Azeos Wilderness and in Nimruza's dungeon.
New enemy variation of the Bomb Scarab. Found in Nimruza’s dungeon.
New sub-biome: Oasis. Found in The Desert of Beginnings biome.
New cattle: Drohmble.
Drohmbles roam in the Oasis and eat crops to produce Blasting Dung.
A total of over 35 new pieces of equipment, including armor, accessories, and weapons.
Added 4 new bombs:
Mouse Bomb;
Blunder Bomb;
Proximity Bomb;
Void Bomb.
Added new types of explosive throwable consumables: “Grenades”.
Grenade;
Stun Grenade;
Fire Grenade;
Poison Grenade;
Charm Grenade.
Added an “Explosives” skill tree with 8 new skills.
New inventory-management feature that can come in different sizes: Pouches.
Ore and Block Pouch;
Seed and Crop Pouch;
Fish Pouch;
Valuable Pouch.
Mage & Warlock playstyles have been expanded with new features as part of our ongoing improvements, with more to come in future updates.
New pet: Arcane Symbiote.
New multi-purpose weapon: Corrupted Meteor Staff
New offhand: Minion Detonator
Minions have been made more aggressive: they will now actively pursue and attack enemies.
New armor sets
Desert Guardian armor set
Lily Pad armor set
Blast armor set
Tassel armor set
New seed placement tool: Garden Trowel.
Added a Content tab to the World Info menu. In this menu, players can opt-in to add new content to their existing worlds created in 1.0 or later, even if doing so may overwrite already explored areas in these worlds. This can, for example, include new boss dungeons that appear in existing biomes. Worlds that don’t opt-in will not see any changes to already explored areas, but might miss out on some of the new content.
New hotbar swapping feature. The hotbar can be swapped to other rows in the inventory by clicking the new arrows to the left of the hotbar or using the shortcuts.
Quick stack to nearby chests has been added as a button to the player’s inventory UI. A shortcut can be used to quick stack items to all nearby chests while the UI is closed too.
New inventory item locking feature. Items in the player’s inventory can be locked using the new lock button in the player inventory UI. Locking an item will block it from being sorted and quick stacked.
New Workbenches:
Laboratory Table. Craftable in the Scarlet Workbench.
Pouch Workbench. Bought from the Bearded Merchant.
New biome-specific explosive wall variations.
2 new paintable decorations:
Tapestry
Banner
5 new achievements.
Floracadas are less aggressive towards players until they have been damaged.
It is now possible to break, pick up and place Cicada Burrows.
"
Minion Detonator’s description is now rewritten to reflect how it actually works, by avoiding the word explosion to not confuse it with explosion-type damage.

Other:

Added support for in-game Asian language input.
Reworked the World Info menu to use a tabbed layout instead of having world generation parameters as a separate popup menu. The Create World menu also uses a similar layout.
Added in-game hints to new characters if they haven’t completed basic tasks like crafting a torch within a few minutes of starting the game. The hints are automatically skipped if the player completes them before they are prompted, or if they reach certain milestones like defeating the first boss. They can also be disabled in the Gameplay settings.
Lowered visual rarity of secondary scanners.
Added a fallback “missing” icon when an inventory slot contains an invalid item, for example due to a bug or from uninstalling a mod. Previously, the slot would appear empty but still behave like it contained an item.
Dedicated server files now include an ARGUMENTS.txt file which describes the available command line arguments in more detail.
Added a -hashedworldseed flag to allow dedicated servers to set the hashed seed directly instead of using a string seed that is then hashed.
When a dedicated server generates a random seed, it now first generates a random-seed string, which is then hashed, instead of generating the hashed seed directly. This means dedicated server seeds now behave identically to the regular game client.
Added scroll bars to scrollable pages in the main menu.
All settings menus now automatically become scrollable if they contain too many options to fit in the available space.
The mouse scroll wheel can no longer be used to cycle through values in option menus, since this interacted with scrolling menus in unintuitive ways.
Restored the frame surrounding chat messages, which was unintentionally removed in 1.0.1.
Fixed a few text and translation issues.

Graphics:

Updated loot sprites for some backpacks with newer graphics.
The Geode Wall Display now correctly uses its unpainted look when placed, instead of the purple variant.
Updated certain buttons in the inventory to make them more distinct.

Audio:

Lowered the volume of the ambient sound effects of the Seasonal Merchant and the Rift Statue.

Game Balance:

Lowered the price of slime boss scanners.
Slightly increased the loot drop for Nilipedes and Clay Burrowers.

Performance:

Worlds are now compressed using Brotli instead of Gzip, which is significantly faster. The .gzip file extension is still used to avoid cloud sync issues.
The list of available converter types is now computed when the game boots and reused, instead of being recomputed every time a world is loaded.
The Join Game UI is now more responsive while preparing to establish the connection.
Fixed a rare lag spike caused by the world autosave sometimes being forced to run on the main thread on low performance machines.
Removed several cases where the main thread would wait for worker threads to finish the tile map update.
Ranged weapon projectiles can now cause damage to Snare Plants.

Bug Fixes: